A social networking system can provide a wealth of knowledge as to the likes, dislikes, and preferences of the users of the social network. Users of a social networking system often use the social network to provide such personal preference information to users to which they are connected. In some instances, it may be valuable to directly poll or survey the various users of the social networking system as to their general attitudes towards specific questions, such as products or services that are generally commercially available. Additionally, the social networking system can be enhanced by seeking specific feedback from the users of the system as to the opinion of those users as to various aspects of the use or functioning of the social networking system.
The knowledge that can be attained by surveying the user base of social networking system can create an incentive to over-survey. If a user population is over-surveyed, however, the user experience may suffer. While a user may be willing to answer a limited number of surveys over a finite period of time, but continuously surveying the same user, or user group, may make the user reluctant to make use of the social networking system. Additionally, excessive surveying may negatively impact the quality of information gathered during the survey.